The Rielly Factor

The Rielly Factor

23 yr old Morgan Rielly is the self proclaimed “father figure” of the Toronoto Maple Leafs

The off season addition of senior talent – Marleau, Moore and Hainsey may not be as plug-n-play as Babcock wants

Rielly’s compatibility with Hainsey and Zaitsev differs signficantly

I wont pretend to be an expert in all things ‘Toronto Maple Leafs’ but when I read this article, “Leafs’ ‘father figure’ on D focuses on reaching next level” it got me thinking about what I am an expert in — player compatibility. Sometimes even the most statistically advantageous pairings on paper, don’t play out as expected on the ice.

The Toronto Maple Leaf’s had us on the edge of our seats during the playoffs. And the aggressive and stubborn Taurus, Mike Babcock, continues his methodical strategy to inch them closer to the Cup by making some interesting off season acquisitions.

In with the Old

It’s easy to assume the addition of Patrick Marleau, Dominic Moore andRon Hainsey is designed to accelerate player development and maturity. With an average of 16 years of regular season, playoff experience, and established on and off ice routines, these players will bring an new tier of leadership to this young roster of talent.

But wait! These “old timers” can only add value if they can connect and relate to this next generation of hockey talent. Purists will say “hockey is hockey” and we should respect tenure. I agree. Nothing replaces the know-how of being in the trenches, must win scenarios, and pushing your physical limits shift-by-shift. BUT the truth is — the ability to succeed as a team comes largely from a shared respect for what it takes to win — irregardless of age or experience. Two people can more effortlessly connect and outperform others if they share values, goals and embrace a similar, or complementary, communication style.

This discussion motivated me to analyze Morgan Rielly’s astrological compatibility with both Nikitia Zaitsev and Ron Hainsey. Here’s what I saw…

Zaitzev and Rielly… Plug-n-play

It is easy to assume that being closer in age and also having a year of playing together under their belt — Rielly and Zaitzev are highly compatibly. Their 74% compatibility is considered good and higher than the league average for Defensive pairings. While its likely they have different drivers or values which drive them toward hockey and greatness as a whole. However, their general communication skills are very complementary and demonstrate an ability to respect differences. What is compelling about these two is that when put under game-time pressure they rise to the highest level of compatibility. This organic and effortless connection when put under pressure situations is a valuable asset.

Also worth noting is their mutual ability to attract luck. They have an 85% compatibility which is always desirable and well above league average. These two could contribute offensively in a meaningful way however… there’s an Achilles heel for these two….

Both Rielly and Zaitzev are water heavy players. They are easily influenced by the changing Moon which could radically impact them from one-game-to-another. What is likely to develop with these two over time would be hot and cold performances; Explosive showings of mind-reading chemistry and masterful physicality on evenings where the Moon is favoring their charts. Then blow-up performances on nights where the Moon is challenging their consistency and ability to control emotions. Bottomline, depending on game night and time, these two may find it hard to exceed the top of their baseline contributions and even sustain their minimum expectations.

Hainsey and Rielly … Fire & Water

This pairing has the potential to be fairly underwhelming in fact… boring. It’s not any one person’s fault. Rielly is a Water heavy player and Hainsey is a Fire heavy player and water puts out fire.

Hainsey chart suggest he isn’t necessarily a natural mentor. He has an Aries heavy chart which is not ideal for mentoring and patience. Rielly responds much more favorably to fluid and honest communication while Hainsey is likely to be more brief and blunt. Hainsey’s style isn’t something Rielly can quickly apply to his current toolkit. Rielly will show respect and work with Hainsey but the forced effort could delay return on investment. Rielly will likely find Hainsey amusing and they will get along fine but he may struggle finding his own voice and further establishing himself as a stand out

Hainsey wont hurt Rielly’s play and their isn’t any indication of a negative or contentious pairing here. In fact, Hainsey may prove to be a good off-set to Rielly’s lunar influenced hot and cold streaks. Hainsey’s weakness is a lack of patience and he may be the one who benefits most from this pairing.

In the end…

It will be fun to watch Babcock mix and match over the course of the season. He’s got a lot of talent to play with and eventually, if he trusts the universe, he’ll find that magic cup-winning chemistry.

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About author

Jessica Abel

Ten years of astrology and entertainment publishing experience combined with a love of sports and all things competitive, I write about what drives people toward greatness. Writing, consulting and providing insightful perspectives to athletes, coaches and teams is what I get paid to do.